A Gift for Nasir
by mandagrammy1
Summary: I'm sure many of us have noticed the unique necklace that Nasir wears throughout the final Season of the Series. A little research into ancient Roman history was the inspiration for my version of how and why Nasir ended up with this interesting item around his neck. Agron once again reveals his softer side whenever it involves Nasir.


A Gift For Nasir

Most gladiators were not known for their sentimentality. After all, they made their living learning how to skillfully kill other men, and even the occasional woman, whenever it was required of them. Most were slaves who had no right to indulge their sentimental sides even if they chose to, without the approval of their masters. Naturally, when one group of them chose to strike the chains that bound them to their Roman masters to join with Spartacus, the gladiator who led their rebellion, few of them changed their behavior.

Agron, a tall muscular man from East of the Rhine, was no different. He became one of Spartacus's most trusted Generals and his right-hand man, but Agron had also become a man possessed of enormous fury at the time of the rebellion's beginnings. He had paid the ultimate price by joining the rebellion. His baby brother, a hot-headed and often foolish young man that he had sworn to protect, was struck down by one of their Roman guards when he took the blade that was meant for Agron. Agron's normally cheerful fun-loving attitude died with Duro. Agron's only pleasure for months after their escape was in spilling more Roman blood...or the blood of mercenaries hired by the increasingly frightened Romans who paid huge amounts to rid themselves of Spartacus and his people.

All this slowly changed when Spartacus made the decision to honor a promise he made to his other General, and sometime rival, Crixus. Crixus, Spartacus, and Agron had all been 'brother' gladiators in the same house, run by Batiatus and his wife, Lucretia. Just before the rebellion began, Crixus was forced to stand helplessly by when his beloved Naevia, a house slave for Lucretia, was taken away out of jealousy felt by Lucretia. Crixus only agreed to help in the rebellion if Spartacus would aid in finding Naevia. The men discovered that Naevia had been whored around from one villa to another in the countryside as her punishment. Spartacus ordered his men to take as many villas as they could in their search for Naevia and to release all the slaves in hopes they would join the revolution. That is how fate took a turn for an angry Agron.

One of the houses the rebels invaded, easily taking control over, housed a young Syrian slave barely into his manhood. His Roman master had named him Tiberius, taking away his birth name of Nasir, but the young man barely remembered ever being Syrian or his name. As a body slave to the master, he was afforded more comfort than the average slave...and not really knowing any other kind of life, Nasir did not take kindly to what the rebels were doing. His fumbled attempt to assassinate Spartacus proved that the young man had spirit, a thing that Spartacus admired. When Spartacus refused to punish the young man for his deed, and instead offered to train him how to fight (giving Nasir the choice, rather than making demands on him) Nasir found himself more and more admiring of the leader.

Agron was also impressed by the fire in Nasir. He found himself drawn to the brave young Syrian and would occasionally draw him into conversation. Their common loss of a dearly loved brother eventually helped to forge a friendship between the two men. Agron knew from puberty that he only had an interest in men when it came to sexual matters, but he was unaware that his friendship with the attractive dark-skinned, dark-eyed Nasir was slowly becoming more. Somewhere in his head, there still lingered the feeling that his heart was empty as a result of his brother's death.

Others began noticing the growing affection between Agron and Nasir. One of those was Nasir's closest friend from their days as slaves, but when she remarked on what she was witnessing between the two men, Nasir firmly denied it. It was not that he minded what she suggested. It was that he thought it an impossibility. He had indeed felt more than a slight attraction to Agron, but was certain that friendship was all the blustery German wanted from him. Everything changed completely not long after that conversation, and there was no going back after that.

It all started when Crixus found out that Naevia had been used up to the point that she had been sent to the Roman mines, one of the most dangerous places on earth. Nasir joined Crixus and Spartacus on a mission to save Naevia. He had revealed that he knew something of the mines, thanks to his master taking him along for visits there. Agron took a separate path, going ahead to check out a location they hoped to make home base near Mount Vesuvius. The rebels could easily strike out and then hide at such a place. The mission to rescue Naevia succeeded, but at the cost of most of the rebel's lives who participated.

Nasir suffered a near-mortal wound himself just hours before Agron and his men joined up with the remnants of his group. The sight of Nasir barely clinging to life tore away the veil of denial laid carefully over Agron's heart. He kept close watch over the recovering Syrian and when Nasir was finally able to walk out to greet Agron on the temple grounds of the place they had all found sanctuary in, Agron greeted Nasir with the first kiss they shared. That kiss was tender, careful, and warm with meaning. That kiss was just the beginning. As soon as Nasir was able, the couple became lovers. There was not a soul in their ever-growing rebel army that was unaware of Agron and Nasir. They shared everything...conversations, memories, and jokes. They shared their meals, their thoughts, their hopes and dreams. They shared their bed and their bodies. And yet, they did not speak poetic words of love to one another. It was not a sentiment that came easily to the slowly mellowing, yet still quick-tempered Agron.

And so their lives moved forward. After many months, Spartacus and his warriors were finally able to defeat the one man, Glaber, he hated most and his army of trained soldiers. It had been a fearsome blow to the Roman Republic. The next year became one in which Spartacus built up from his ragtag rebels consisting of few numbers into a frightening, well-trained force to be reckoned with. His warriors were men and women from all nations who had been released from bondage and would fight to the death to remain free. Even the ex-slaves too old, feeble, or young to fight lent whatever support they could for the cause. Every group of Roman soldiers and mercenaries dispatched to deal with Spartacus and his rebels were quickly relieved of their lives.

But not all the time that passed among the rebels was spent in the planning of, or dealing in their warfare. There were those occasions when the rebels were given a respite from constant threat...short periods of time while Rome was forced to regroup after heavy losses and plan for the next wave of attack against the rebel army. It was during one of these brief moments of peace from pursuit that Agron first laid eyes upon an item that sparked his imagination. It happened at one of the many Roman villas the rebels relieved of their slaves. The usual practice after robbing the Roman owners of their lives was to take what food supplies, coin, clothing, and weapons could be found. Personal items were most often ignored, the thought being that carrying around such trinkets would only slow one down. Of course there were those among the rebels who sought such riches as jewelry and decor and were not loathe to strip them from the villas, but Agron was not of such a mind. Not until this singular day.

While Nasir and others gathered food supplies, Agron was among those searching for weapons. The bed-chamber of the owner was often a place that harbored finely crafted daggers, and belts to carry them, so Agron began his search there. His last blade had been broken on the back-bone of a soldier standing behind Nasir with a sword in hand. The fact that it was Nasir the unfortunate man was aiming for may have had something to do with the force of the thrusts, not to mention the count of how many times the blade found its mark. Thus the rebel gladiator was now in search of a worthy replacement.

It didn't take Agron long to find exactly what he was looking for...a fine dagger with brass and silver inlay that was forged with the strongest of metals. He was removing it from the strong box that held it when his eyes fell on the object just beneath it. He pulled it out and discovered a necklace made of thick braided leather straps with three separate skillfully carved talismans hanging from it. There were no precious stones inlaid in the objects, but the workmanship was beautiful. For the first time, Agron chose to confiscate a useless item for himself. He tucked away his new weapon and stuffed the necklace into the bag he carried. He then completed his tasks before finding Nasir and joining the others. The rebels would sleep comfortably this night before having to move on again.

It wasn't long before rebels and freed slaves were gathered around a communal pot of steaming hot boar's meat stewed with vegetables found in the villa's garden. Everyone queued up to get their portion and a thick crust of bread to sop up the juices. Agron was still waiting on Nasir, who was making careful note of all the supplies they would take with them. His stomach complained loudly enough that he decided to get both their portions so that Nasir could join him as soon as he was finished with his work. Agron took a seat off to the side of the atrium to give he and Nasir a small degree of privacy. He fished out the necklace to get a closer look at it. Within minutes he was joined by a pretty young slave girl newly freed from the villa. She smiled shyly, but with clear intent. It was not uncommon for some of the freed slaves to hero worship their liberators and try to make a connection with them. Agron inwardly smiled, knowing the girl was flirting with the wrong man.

"Word is given that you are a man of considerable importance to Spartacus. Was word given with false tongue?"

"I cannot speak of importance, but we are friends and brothers," Agron modestly answered. "Is there a thing you require of me?"

"This is a question I wish to ask of you. You have my gratitude for removing shackles that bound me. I wish to repay deed with whatever you ask of me."

Agron grinned. "I am spoken for. Continue your search and find many who would welcome your appreciation."

There was no animosity in his tone, so the girl shrugged her shoulders and started to leave. Her eyes fell upon the necklace.

"You discovered my dominus's favorite trinket. It is custom for Roman men to wear or display the phallus to ward off evil and offer protection from the gods." She paused and then laughed out loud. "Maybe you will fare better. He wore three cocks to increase his chances. Perhaps he should have worn more?"

With the sound of laughter trailing behind her, the girl moved on. Agron examined the hanging pendants more carefully. They were indeed carved penises, although he hadn't recognized the fact at first glance. He smiled inwardly. It was no wonder that the necklace had intrigued him the way it did. He began to ponder on what the girl said about the meaning behind the pendants. It was not uncommon for men of all nationalities to wear on their person somewhere a talisman of some kind, usually for protection. Agron knew that you could not fight the Fates if your time had come, so such a thing would not always work, but it was still a thing to do. As he continued to wait for Nasir, it dawned on Agron that there was only one human whose life he wanted to protect at all costs, even more so than his own.

It was at that moment that Agron heard his named called from across the courtyard. Nasir was searching for him. Agron quickly stuffed the necklace back in the bag and called out to Nasir. The rest of the evening was spent in pleasant conversation and enjoying their meal. As the hour drew late, they joined others who were washing off the grime from their battle in the villa's large bathhouse. Clean, they entered the small alcove they had chosen as their space for the night.

Letting the curtains that afforded them some privacy fall, they fell into each other's arms. The towels they used to cover themselves at the bath fell to the ground as they embraced tightly. Slow, gentle kisses rapidly became more urgent and demanding as lips parted and tongues danced together. Cocks quickly filled with heated blood and rose to greet each other. Once again, the couple played games with fingers and palms, each trying to elicit all the sounds that made a lover's heart beat faster. There was no immediate threat to their lives so they took their time. The more they touched, the more they wanted. But as with all things, there came that moment when neither could wait any longer to become one. This night was Agron's turn to possess, and he did so with all the care and passion that filled his every thought of Nasir.

After the lovers reached that magical precipice that all lovers long to fall from, they lay entwined upon their bedding while waiting for the calm to return them to earth. Completely relaxed now, Agron rose from their bed and walked away. Nasir rose up on one elbow, missing the comfort of Agron's body next to his. He was about to ask Agron why he left, when the man turned around with a grin on his face. Nasir loved to see Agron smile. It was the first thing he had fallen in love with in the very beginning. It was then that Nasir noticed that Agron carried something in his hand. As Agron sat back down on the edge of the bed, he showed Nasir what he had. He opened the bag and pulled something from its interior.

"I found this and was told it is a good luck charm...supposedly to protect its wearer from harm. The one who owned it put it away, and now has no need of it. His fate may have been different if he had but placed it on neck where it belonged. I want you to wear it...if you choose to, Nasir."

Nasir stared at the thing hanging down from Agron's fingers. It was a thing of some beauty and Nasir could see why Agron favored it. As Nasir twisted it in his hands, he thought to himself...'if this was for protection, then it failed in its duty for its owner, but if it would make Agron feel better whenever they were in battle, then the thing would be of worth'. Nasir looked into Agron's eyes and saw the hope there. He knew what he had to do. He sat up, turned around, and lifted his hair. Agron tied the necklace securely around Nasir's throat. He kissed Nasir's neck before turning the Syrian around. They embraced.

"It is a gift I wear with pride, Agron. It is a gift from your heart. Gratitude!" he whispered in Agron's ear.

"You gave me your heart, Nasir, and I gave you mine. This is but a token. I want you safe in my arms as long as the gods favor us, and even after they fall from our side," Agron whispered back.

"So it shall be, Agron," Nasir promised as the couple lay back down together.

And so it was. The necklace protected Nasir and the gods favored their love for years after.

The End


End file.
